Machine for cleaning the exteriors of receptacles.



l. MERRITT & E. W. SMITH.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING THE EXTERIORS 0F RECEPTACLES.

APPLICATIUN FILED OCT. 30, 1912.

w. ou m YHE NORRIS PETERS CO l PHolf-LITHO.. WASHING TCN, D C.

1. MERRHT L E. w. SMITH.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING THE EXTERIOBS OF RECEPTACLES. 1,134,21 3.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30, 1912.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

HIL MORRIS PE [Eleb CO., FHoTo-LlTHo.. WASHINLJTQN. D. C.

I. MERRITT 6L E. W. SMITH. MACHINE FOR CLEANING THE EXTERIORS 0FRECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 30. |912. 1, 1 34,21 3. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3A ww b :new 1J:- lbub Co PHOTO L/ruo. wAsnlNriwN, D L'J. MERRITT & E. W. SMITH. MACHINE FOR CLEANING THE EXTERIORS 0FRECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION msn 001.30. 1912.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET L THE MORRIS PETERS :IU PHOrC LlrHU. WASHINLHON. D C.

J. MERRITT & E. W. SMITH. MACHINE Foa CLEANING THE ExTElons orRECEPTACLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30| l9l2.

THE NoRRls PETERS C0.. PHvTc-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. Dv C.

JOSEPH MEER/ITT AND ERNEST WALKER SMITH, 0F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

MACHINE FCR CLEANING THE EXTERIORSy OF RECEPTACLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application led October 30, 1912. Serial No. 728,629.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOSEPH MERRITT andERNEST WALKER SMITH, citizens of the United States, residing atHartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Cleaning theExteriors of Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine which is designed to wipe off, cleanand polish the exterior surfaces of receptacles.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated is particularly designed forcleaning the surfaces of such cans as have been filled with talc powder,tooth powder, or the like toilet preparations.

The object of theinvention is to provide a machine which will rapidlytake in, feed through, efficiently clean the exteriors and deliver suchreceptacles.

In the machine illustrated as one embodiment of the invention the cansare placed in a vertical position upon a belt which feeds them todevices that pass them into a guideway through which they are advancedby a carrier. In the guide-way, first, theA two sides are rubbed byrapidly revolved rag wheels and then the cans are turned over and thetwo edges are rubbed by rapidly revolved rag wheels. From this guide-waydevices feed the cans to a belt which, with a feed chain that cooperateswith the belt, carries them between rapidly revolved rag wheels that rubthe ends, and then passes them out of the machine.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings shows an elevation of the deliveryside of the machine. Fig. 2 shows an elevation of the front of themachine. Fig. 3 shows a plan of part of the machine. Fig. 4 shows a planof the other part of the machine. Fig. 5 is a vertical section takenthrough the guide-way, showing the way the cans are carriedtherethrough. Fig. 6 is an elevation showing a portion of the mechanismat the delivery end of the machine. Fig. 7 shows a cross section of theguide-way on the plane indicated by the dotted line 7 on Fig. Fig. 8shows a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 8 on Fig. 5.Fig. 9 shows a section on the plane indicated by the dotted line 9 onFig. 5. Fig. 10 shows a section through the bearings of the carrier onthe plane indicated by the dotted line 10-10 on Fig. 3.

The cans 1 are brought to the machine illustrated standing upright by anendless belt 2 that travels toward one side of the machine. This beltmay bring the cans from another machine, such as a weighing, filling andcapping machine, or the cans may be placed thereon by hand. From thisbelt the cans are fed into the machine. The means illustrated for Vthispurpose are revolving brushes 3 that are arranged two on each side abovethe plane of the belt. These brushes project from hubs 4 fastened toshafts 5 which have bevel gears 6 that mesh with bevel gears 7 on thehorizontal shaft 8 that carries the drum 9 around which the feed belt 2passes. (Figs. 2, On one end of the horizontal shaft 8 is a bevel pinion10 which is engaged by a bevel gear 11 on a shaft 12 on which is a bevelgear 13. Engaging with this gear 13 is a pinion 14, the hub' of which isconnected with a gear 15 that is engaged by a pinion 16 on the drivingshaft 17, (Fig. 3), which carries the usual fast and loose pulleys 18and 19. (Fig. 4). lWhen this mechanism is in operation, the cans arebrought by the feed belt to the side of the machine and by the revolvingbrushes are passed into the path of the carrier arms. The feed brushestime the arrival of the cans to the carrier arms, and hold them so theywill not be upset or caught and jammed when the carrier takes them up,and being soft and flexible they do not force and crowd the cans, norinjure the enamel or other finish.

The carrier is a thin circular disk 2() provided with arms 21 thatproject approximately radially of the disk. When the machine is inoperation the carrier arms advance the cans through a curved guide-way22. (Fig. The carrier disk is fastened to a gear 23, the hub of whichturns loosely on a sleeve 24 through which the driving shaft 17 extends.(Figs. 5, 10). The gear 23, to which the carrier disk is fastened, isengaged by a pinion 25 that meshes with a pinion 26 onthe shaft carryingthe gear 15 that is driven by the pinion 16 on the driving shaft (Fig.2).

The guide-way 22 through which the cans are advanced by the carrierarms, is made in two complementary arc-shaped 'sections that areconcentric with the carrier, a spacek being left between them for thepassage of the cari rier arms. l/Vhen cans that are oval in crosssection .are to`v be put through and cleaned by this machine, thesesections of the guideway are shaped first narrow'and deep (Fig. 7) sothat the cans will goin and be carried up edgewise, and then shallow andwide (Fig. 9) so that the cans will be turned oneV project into theguide-wayon the other side,

and then 'as the carrier advances the cans, the edges will bebrushed,cleaned and polished by the rapidly rotating rag Wheels 31 and32Vv that project into the guide-way -on oneside, and 33 and 34 thatproject into the guide-ways on Athe other side.- (Figs. 3,

Each pair of rag -wheels is rotated at high' vspeed by an endless belt35 that passes around a pulley 36 on the driving shaft 17,VV

over idlers 37, around pulleys 38 on the axles of the rag wheels andaround ank adjustable Y intermediate idler pulley 39.

The cans, after having their sides and edges (Figsq2, 3).

cleaned, are bv a revolving brush 40 pushed out of the end of thearc-shaped guidefway onto an endless-traveling belt 41. (Figs. 1, 2,43). Thisbrush is mounted ona shaft42 1 which vhas a lbevelj'gear473in'inesh with which is a bevel gear 44 ona shaft that has a pinion -45which meshes with a gear vr46 (Figs.A 1, 3), that is engaged by agear'47 on the shaft 12. On the end of the shaft'jy L12 is a sprocketwheel 43 which is connected by a chain 49 with a sprocket 5001i theshaft Y which carries the drum 51, around which the' traveling belt 41passes. (Figs. 1,3).

In order to prevent the revolvingdelivery brush 40 from'pushing the canstoo far onto the belt 41," a stop 52V is arranged at one side of thebeltopposite the end' of the guide-way. (Figs. 1, 3). This stop isA at theupper end of a rod 53 that is adjustably mounted on a stud 54 which isfastened tok the frame of the machine. (Figs. 1, 2). An oscillatory gate55 which is substantially semi-cylindrical in form is arranged adjacenttothe end ofthe guideway. (Figs. This gate keeps the cans alined on thebelt as they are delivered from the carrier'to the belt which travels atright angles tothe plane of rotation of the carrier, and' also properlyspaces the cans on the vbelt so' they will be correctly timed withrelation tothe arms of the chain carrier. yThe gate which is hollow andVprojects over the belt is mounted on a shaft having a rocker arm 56which is connected bya link 57 with the end of a bell crank lever 5Sthat Yisv oscillated by a cam 59. (Fig. l). This cam is ,con-

nected withv the gear45th'atisdriven'by"they Y gears 46and4'7 from theAshaft 12. (Fig. 3). Vhen this mechanism turns the gate over one way,the cans' are drawn against it and retained straight on the'belt 41,-butV when the gate is turned over the other Way the cans are free to becarriedby the belt into the gate, which is so actuated that itV releasesthe cans properly located on the beltY to be engagedv by the chaincarrier which cooperates therewith. t

lVhen the gate is turned so `as to releasel a can, the belt carries the"can beneath a chain 60 which has carrier arms 61 arranged in pairs. Thischain passes around a sprocket 62 that is on the shaft carrying thedrive Vgear 46, and anidle sprocket .63.V (Fig. l).`

The carrier arms 61 come down, and-,grasp-V ing a can on each;side, holdit whileitV is being carried along by the Vbelt between the rag wheels64 and65on one side of the belt and chain, and the'rag wheels 66 and6701i,

the other'side of the belt and chain. -As the t carrier chain travelsaround the sprockets the arms open to'preceive thecans,l closetograspand hold the cans square on-,the belt and carry them against-theresistance of the.u rotating rag wheels and .then open to release,`

the cans.1 Onepair of these ragwheels wipe,

clean, and'polish the top end, and the otherV pair wipe, clean, andpolishthe'bottom/end of the cans.` (Fig. 4).l These wheels' are rotatedlin opposite `directions so that not only the surfaces butin the cornersabout thejcapat the top and in the corners around the bottom all dustwill be thoroughly wiped Y out, yone wheel in each side rotating onelway so as to get into the corners on one sidek and the-'other fwheel oneach side rotating reversely so as to get into the corners on the otherslide. Each set of wheels Vis driven by similar means. )This Ameansconsists' of an endless beltV 68 that passes around a pulleyv 69 on aAshaft170 and `over idler pulleysf71 and then around pulleys, 72 onfV the'rag' wheelfaXles and about an adjustable intermediate idler 73.

The shaft70-is driven` fromthe driving shaft 17 by an endless belt 74that passes around a pulley l75 on shaft 17 and a pulley 76 on shaftl70. l (Fig. 4.).

After passing these rag Wheels,-which clean. thetops andthe bottoms, thecans. are car-4v f ried bythe beltv 41 anddelivered from thevkv machineto a belt 77 that may 'carry them to the packer. Y'

(Fig. Y 6). Y

bodiment of the invention is, as explained, designed to Wipe,.clean `andpolish the Yform of. can commonlyusedfor holding talc pow- ,l

der and the like toilet compound. yThe in- The machineshown asillustratingv an em-l vention, however, is of course not limited to amachine designed for this speciiic form of can, as other forms of cans,boXes and receptacles can be rapidly and thoroughly cleaned by themachine, the only change necessary being in the design of the guides andcarriers, such as will readily suggest themselves to those skilled inthe art. And while the cleaning wheels have been described as rag wheelsthey may, of course, be made of any suitable materials.

The invention claimed is:

l. A machine for cleaning the exteriors of receptacles, having a waythat is curved longitudinally and twisted transversely for guiding thereceptacles and giving them a quarter turn while passing therethrough, arotary carrier with its periphery projecting into said curved andtwisted way for advancing the receptacles therethrough, mechanism forrotating the carrier, cleaning wheels projecting into the Vway on bothsides near the entrance end, cleaning wheels projecting into both sidesof the way near the delivery end, and mechanism for rotating thecleaning wheels.

2. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having a curvedway for guiding and turning over the receptacles, a rotatory carrier,arms projecting from the carrier into the said way for advancing thereceptacles longitudinally therethrough, mechanism for rotating thecarrier, cleaning Wheels projecting into the path of the re ceptaclesnear the entrance end of the way, cleaning wheels projecting into thepath of the receptacles near the delivery end of the way, and mechanismfor rotating the cleaning wheels.

3. A machine for cleaning the exteriors of receptacles, having alongitudinally curved and transversely twisted way for guiding andturning over the receptacles, a rotatory carrier with arms projectinginto said way for advancing the receptacles therethrough, mechanism forrotating the carrier, cleaning wheels projecting into the way in thepath of the receptacles, and mechanism for rotating the cleaning wheels.

1l. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having alongitudinally curved and transversely twisted guide-way, a rotatorycarrier with arms projecting into said way for advancing the receptaclestherethrough, mechanism for rotating the carrier, and means for cleaningthe receptacles while being advanced through said way by said carrier. l

5. A machine for cleaning the exteriors of receptacles, having a way forguiding the receptacles, a carrier for advancing the receptacles throughsaid way, wheels projecting into the Way in the path of the receptaclesfor cleaning the sides thereof, means for carrying the receptacles awayfrom the guide-way, and wheels rotating in opposite directions on eachside of and projecting into the path of the receptacles carried by saidmeans for completely cleaning both ends of the receptacles.

6. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having a beltfor conveying the receptacles, a gate for spacing the receptacles onsaid belt, a carrier arranged adjacent to said belt for retaining thereceptacles while they are carried by the belt, wheels projecting intothe path of the ends ofthe receptacles while they are being carried bythe belt, mechanism for moving the belt and carrier, and mechanism forrotating the cleaning Vwheels on each side in opposite directionswhereby they will thoroughly wipe all parts of both ends of thereceptacles.

7 A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having a belt forconveying the receptacles, a movable gate for locating and timing thereceptacles on said belt, a carrier arranged adjacent to said belt forkeeping the receptacles in position while they are carried by the belt,and means for cleaning the ends of the receptacles while they are beingcarried by the belt.

8. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having arotatory carrier, a guide-way encircling and inclosing a portion of theperiphery of said carrier, said guide-way being shaped to give thereceptacles a quarter turn as they are advanced therethrough by thecarrier, cleaning wheels projecting into the guide-way near the entranceend, and cleaning wheels projecting into the guide-way near the deliveryend.

9. The combination in a machine for cleaning the eXteriors ofreceptacles of a circular carrier, means for rotating the carrier, acurved guide-way extending about a portion of the periphery of thecarrier, said guide-way having openings through its side and innerwalls, arms projecting radially at intervals from the carrier into theguideway, cleaning wheels with their peripheries extending into thesides of the guide-way, and means for rotating the cleaningwheels.

l0. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles, having anarc-shaped way for guiding and turning over the receptacles, a circularcarrier with arms for advancing the receptacles along said way,mechanism for rotating the carrier, and means for cleaning all sides ofthe receptacles while being carried along said way.

l1. A machine for cleaning the eXteriors of receptacles having arotatory receptacle carrier, means for rotating the carrier, a

-iXed guide-way concentric with and inclosing a portion of the peripheryof said carrier, said way being shaped to turn the receptacles 90degrees while they are being carried therethrough, and means for rubbingthe sides ofthe receptacles While ltheV carrier is advancingtheinthrough said concentric Way. .v

12. A machlne for cleaning the exteriors 5V of receptacles, having anendless belt for re` ceiving the receptacles, automatically openingand'closing means coperating With the delivery belt and positivelycarrying the receptacles along therewith, and cleaning 10 Wheelsprojecting into the path of the re-v 1,5Y and carrying thereceptaclessidewise, oppo- Y sitely rotating Wheels on one side for clean-y ing oneendv of the receptacles'carried by saidnieans, roppositely rotatingvvheelsfon theV other side of the carrier for cleaning the 20, otherends of the receptacles carried thereby, said Wheels turning on axes atright angles to the direction of .feed ,of saidr 'carrying means andhaving their peripheries projecting into the path of the receptacles soasto engage with theV ends thereof.

14. A machine for cleaning the exteriors of receptacles having aguidefway, means :forV advancing the Vreceptacles endvvise through-saidguide-Way, means arranged .inV

Yclean the sides thereof While they are vpassing through theguide-Wayland are being turned over therein.l v jl Y *i t JOSEPHMERRITT.

ERNEST WALKER SMITH.v y

'VVitnessesz- Y 1 CHARLOTTE S. HULL, Y CAROLINE M. BRECKLE.

Y(Ifopies of this patent may be obtainedl for five ,cents each, byvaddressing' thefComni'ssoner of Patents, Washington, D. C. v i l l

